This Air Force Veteran Got a Shocking Response When She Parked in a Reserved Spot

Mary Claire Caine is an Air Force veteran who served in Kuwait, and is proud of her time serving her country. But apparently she doesn't look "veteran" enough for some people.

When Caine, who lives in North Carolina, went to her local Harris Teeter grocery store, she parked in the store's reserved spot for veterans. But when she returned to load up her car, she saw a nasty note. It read:

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

"Maybe [you] can't read the sign you parked in front of…This space is reserved for those who fought for AMERICA…not you. Thanks, Wounded Vet."

The note shook Caine to her core. She assumed because she is a woman, and because her car doesn't have military bumper stickers, that the accuser assumed she wasn't a veteran. She stuck around for a few minutes to confront her accuser, but nobody stopped by.

"For a split second I thought, 'Am I a worthy enough veteran to park in this spot?'" she told WECT-TV. "And then I got very angry at myself for even considering that."

"Honestly if you've served in the United States military, you know that veterans come in all shapes and sizes," she added. "I question whether the person who left the note was fully aware of that."

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Her story has gone national, and she's since received an outpouring of support from locals and even Harris Teeter's corporate office. But Caine says there are veterans who need the help way more than she does, and encourages people to donate to the Wounded Warrior Project instead.

A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Woman's Day participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.